Well, this is one hell of a topic to tackle. Think about it
– we trust our very lives to police and fire personnel everyday. We don’t even
think about it. They are there when we need them in disasters, accidents, fires,
explosions, riots and crime scenes. They take charge of the scene. They
immediately restore order and save lives. They administer health care and
transport to hospitals. They catalog our names, roles in and at the scene, and
begin the documentation that will later be used to understand what happened and
why. This is detailed work. This is also dangerous work. Their lives are on the
line just as ours are as victims.
Extraordinary effort, training and judgment are required of
these responders. I think we take them for granted. We also expect them to
place their lives on the line to protect us. This may never happen to us, or
once in our lifetime, but for the responders it is frequent. Each situation is
a hairy one.
For some reason we expect their devotion to our needs and
yet we pay them what? And do we provide medical care, health insurance and
retirement benefits in accord with their spectacular service? Well, that
depends on the figures at budget time, doesn't it? Most often we attempt to get
these incredible services at the lowest cost, forgetting what these people
bring to the table daily to serve and protect us.
I’m embarrassed by all of this. I think we owe so much to
these people it is impossible to calculate what we ought to pay them. I want
their lives to be as meaningful as I hope mine will be. I want them to be as
happy as possible in spite of the terrors they are subjected to. And I want
them to know they are respected by us, the taxpaying public.
On a daily basis we are served by armies of public servants
– teachers, doctors, nurses, military personnel, researchers, statisticians,
writers, clerks, computer system managers and developers. All are on the
mission to serve the public in ways the rest of us cannot possibly understand
or appreciate. But when budget time comes around we somehow devalue these
people.
I worked for the University
of Illinois Illinois . We took our
jobs seriously. What we did mattered in the broader scheme of life and
community. We couldn’t accurately map our results, but we took it on faith that
our efforts mattered.
Cynics would say that all public employees are feeders at
the public trough and suspect. But then I think of the people who staff the
courts, the parole offices, the rehab centers for all kinds of addictive
behaviors, the detention centers for youth who are woefully off track. Who
cares for these people? Who attempts to salvage them from the pits of hell if
their problems are ignored and allowed to grow and fester? Someone needs to.
And that job belongs to society as a whole.
Not all tasks belong to government. But government is our
social conscience and needs to be aware of problems, potential solutions, and
the resources to address the same. Some resources are voluntary; others are
charitable organizations; still others are religious communities doing their
good works. But when families fail to contain the damaged persons and their
effects on others, then it is society which needs to step in. Do we really
think volunteers can handle all of this?
No. So we need other responders to contain the damage and
hopefully return the sufferers to a productive role in society. That’s why we
heal and cure patients. It is why we teach students. It is why we serve and
protect the public in the first place.
So why do we so easily distrust segments of the government
and their agencies?
I spoke to a senior citizen the other day – active,
involved, highly productive – and he claimed facts are made up, reported as
true facts, and policies are formed by government contrary to reality. He was
especially riled about the EPA. He doesn’t believe in global warming in spite
of the fact that I reported to him that scientists now can measure current
global warming and project the variances from norms long term of this
phenomenon. These same scientists can measure the causes and behaviors behind
global warming. They can monitor our attempts to moderate global warming to
learn which methods are effective and which not.
He didn’t buy my argument! I guess when his ocean front
vacation home is inundated in 40 years he might change his opinion; but wait!
he won’t be around unless we make truly remarkable gains in medical science.
We pay people to pursue science and guide policy makers to
better serve and protect the public. That public includes future generations
yet unborn. They will be our progeny. We do not serve and protect just the
current public, but that which is yet to come.
The planet is our home. Whatever we can do to protect it so
it is healthy and capable of sustaining life on the planet for the future is
something we ought to be doing. Ought to be doing. It is an ethos. What is
wrong in believing we have a custodial obligation to leave the planet as
healthy as possible in spite of our use of its treasure for the short term.
I trust in government. I believe in monitoring government. I
believe in telling government my opinions and concerns. But I also cooperate
with government so good things happen. Shouldn't we all play a similar role?
It seems to me that the real problem here is not trust in
government as much as it is distrust in politicians who manipulate public
opinion. Now in that we have more control!
So why don’t we exercise that control? Because I think too
many of us are lazy and leave the hard work to other people while we selfishly
pursue our own happiness regardless of its cost to other people.
It is easy to fall into this lazy cycle. But then we must
face the challenge of undoing the cycle. Too much is depending on us not to do
so.
Please join others in discussing these issues so next time
we can vote intelligently and make real change possible.
Thank you!
May 14, 2015
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